PROVIDER GUIDELINES

Background

State rules require licensed water and wastewater operators to participate in approved professional growth training to keep their licenses valid. A minimum number of approved continuing education units (CEUs) must be earned during each licensure renewal cycle.

Note: Professional growth training must be pre-approved by the WWP Board for class content, instructor(s), and relevancy before classes may be conducted and before operators may count the training toward fulfillment of the professional growth requirement.

Pre-approval of class, instructor and relevancy determines the type and number of CEUs assigned to each class. CEUs must be assigned before classes are conducted so operators know the approval status and CEU status before attending classes.

Relevancy

All training must be relevant to the job. Criteria used to determine if the subject matter offered in a training class is relevant and approvable are based on the Associated Boards of Certification (ABC) “Needs to Know Criteria.” Relevant training is instruction or education that:

• Is pertinent to or consistent with what an operator needs to understand to successfully perform a job in the drinking water or wastewater field; and
• Includes instruction that familiarizes operators with public health issues and source water protection issues; and
• Is identifiable as only that information an operator “needs to know,” which does not include information superfluous to the drinking water or wastewater aspect of the job (such as sexual harassment training).

Training Subjects

Among the subject matter eligible for professional growth training are:

• Operation and maintenance of water/wastewater treatment systems and associated equipment;
• Operation and maintenance of water/wastewater transport systems (distribution and collection) and associated equipment;
• Electrical systems;
• Hydraulics;
• Chemical treatment;
• Sampling/testing requirements—biological, chemical and radionuclide;
• Disinfection;
• Water/wastewater public health issues;
• Mathematics; and
• Drinking water source water protection.

Because operators' length of service ranges from entry level to decades spent at the same licensed class, similarly classified individuals can have very different training needs. Training providers are encouraged to consider progressive levels of training for the various types and classes of operator licensures.

Evaluation

Quality control is equally important to the students, instructors, and training providers to determine the value added from each class. Every approved class must include some form of training class/instructor evaluation/ critique, and every training provider must provide students attending a training class the opportunity to fill out an instructor/class evaluation/ critique form.

Training evaluation forms must meet certain requirements and be pre-approved. As part of the class/instructor approval application process, training providers may develop and submit an instructor/class evaluation/critique form for review and approval by the WWP Board prior to use.

Training Class and Instructor Approval Guidelines

To assure consistent and quality training opportunities for licensed drinking water and wastewater operators in Idaho, DEQ has developed guidelines and forms designed to expedite the training approval process for training providers.

If you are a training provider or are interested in obtaining approval as an instructor for a specific training class, an Application for Approval of Water or Wastewater must be completed. The Application contains several forms, all of which must be submitted at least 30 days in advance of the class.

A request for Board approval of classes and instructors may be made by submitting a completed Education Approval Form.  The Education Addendum must also be completed if you are seeking approval for a conference or meeting that will offer several classes.

  If you have questions about the CE requirements, you may e-mail the Bureau office. 

Last Modified - March 25, 2008